Automobile wheel



Patented Nov. 6, 1923. i

WILLIAM .H- KTIFN', OFEWEN; rivirouleau.

AtizrorroBrLnfwHEEL.-

' appiicaiionidiviay"1,1922.gseriainof'zgssi. f"

To riZZ-fiohomrz't may concert/L. .i Be it known that I, VrLmAM-H-KUT1NA.,

a citizen of the United' States,--residing at.' Ewen, in the county vof Onto-nagon and State of Michigan, have inventedicertain new and useful vImprovenientsin Automobile Wheels, of which ythe following is a specification.

.This invention relates to vehiclefwheels,l

and`moreparticularly to demountable rims for automobile wheels, an object of'theiiivention being the provision of fat novel con-Y struction whereby 'the' rim may be readily` demounted `without involving the removal! of numerous bolts or loosening of fastening clips'and the like.

A further vobJect of the invention is to provide improved interlocking means be-y tween thevv wheel and thedeinountable rim for locking them together, said means beingl located wholly within the 'body lines 0f the wheel and the I rim. f f

To this endthe invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described' and claimed-.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification: f

Figure 1, is a plan view ofa tire rim forming part of my invention. Y

Fig. 2, is a side view of a segment of-la-n automobile wheel and its demountable rim showing a part of the interlocking means.

Fig. 3, isa segmentalside view, showing the hand operable mechanism for releasing the rim from the wheel.

Fig. 4, is a sectional .view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. f Y

Fig. 5, is a sectional view online 5-45 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6, is a fragmentary perspective view' of a section of the demountable rim, showin one of the steady lugs thereon, and Y Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the tire rim showing the manner of placing the wheel in proper position within the rim. y

In the drawings, 1 designates the felloe of an automobile wheel, Qvthe spokes and 3 the Y felly band thereof. Fitting removably around the band is the demountable split steel rim 4, the rimk here shown being adapted to receive an ordinary iniiatable clincher tire,it being understood however, that'any conventional form of tire may be substituted.

The rim is formed with a pair of spaced steady lugs 5 which; are here shown positioned symmetrically about an imaginary line as a+@ intersecting the center of rota-iffVVV tion ofthe rim, said lugsextending from the'.V i

inn'erfface thereof. -Adjacent sidesS of the .lugs preferably diverge toward'the cen-V ter ofthefrim-'to thereby provide'draft orl eo Y Y taper,-with respect'to the; centerfline ct-a while the remote sides .9 thereof Vare preferably radially disposed for purposes hereinafter explained. Ther lugs. are "preferably formed with flatouter sides 10 which con'-v verge toward the; center of the rim', as shown inv Figuren of the drawing. Thus, the Vlugs are appreciably smaller attheouter eXtremity than Vat y the base, and present two oppositely disposedradial shoulders formed by the Vsides 9. These lugs fit linto the vsockets or cavities 10 in .theperipliery of the` wheel, said sockets extending through the felly'band into. the felloefof the wheelto secure greater bearing surface for the lugs.

Positioned symmetrically about the aforesaid imaginary line, opposite the lugs,'are the elongatedv cleats or stopsvll, said cleats extending parallel with the axis'of rotation of the rim, on the inner face 6 thereof.:

" VThe cleats are Vpreferably VVformed withV radiallyfdisposed 'sides.12, and are of lesser thickness than the felly band 3, and are so positioned on thel rim as' to have their ends run true therewith.

The periphery of the felly band is formed with notches or .grooves 15 designed to receive f the cleats, said notches having end walls 16 which engage with the ends of the cleats,

when the wheel is iii proper position. Midway between the cleats, the inner face 6 of the rim is formed with a fiat raised rein'- forcing portionl? having a central circular recess 18 therein. The felly band is accordingly cut away Vto receive said reinforcing portion, as shown in Figure 3, and is perforated by an aperture in register with' the recess 18. Registering. with the aperture and extending radially into the felloe isthe A elongatedchamber 18 wherein slidably fits the lock bar 19, the upper portion thereof being of reduced diameter vand extending thllough the felloe to form a handle 19. A'

suitable extensile'spring 20 in said chamber,

.surrounds theflock bar and'engages under ,stress the shoulder 19 Vof the latter.

stop pin VQOeXtending through the lock bar Y limits the outward sliding movement thereof.

By reinforcing the rim as described, I secure l ample bearing in the recess for the lock bar,

thereby rendering the device strong and safe against accidental partial Withdrawal of the bar.

The device is constructed to enable the lugs, cleats and the reinforcing raised portion to be easily Welded to an ordinary tire rim While an ordinary felly band may easily and cheaply be prepared to tit into the rim.

lVhile I have shown 'an extension 2l on the felloe, this is not essential, as the lock -bar Amay be made to lit an ordinary Wheel.

In the process of placing the rim on the Wheel, the lock bar is manually :pulled out kagainst the tension of the spring' and the vlugs initially inse ted into the sockets l0 by slightly tilting the rim, 'as indicated in Figure ST. The cleats are lthen 'entered into the grooves of the Wheel to bring them to rest against the end Walls 'of the grooves, whereby the planes of the Wheel and rim are rendered coincident. The lock bar is then released to allorv it to enter the recess :18.

By diverging the Walls 8 ot the lugs, 4draft or in other Words.l taper is provided to fa-V cilitate entry of ythe lugs into the sockets. By having the Walls 9 andI 12 respectively ot' the lugs and cleats radial, the propelling l thrusts communicated by the driven Wheel to the rim are applied squarely to the latter. both in a reverse or vforward movement.

An opening 22 midivay between `the lugs receives the usual tire valve (not shown) the felloe being' correspondingly .perforated to permit. the valve to extend therethrough.

The lugs 5 steady or stabilize the Arim laterally to hold it true, While 'the lock bar likewise steadies the rim on the opposite side of the Wheel. Y

I claim:

The combination With a Wheel having a circumferential face formed by a telly band 'surrounding the body thereof, said WheelV half lof its circumferential face, said groovesv being open at one end, the `openings thereof facing laterally; of a demountable rim adapted lto be placed in close fitting rela` tion around said Wheel, releasable locking means for locking said rim to said Wheel when said rim is in close fitting relation therewith, said locking means being located midway between said grooves, projections carried by said rim formed and positioned to adapt them to be lentered respectively into the openings of said grooves and occupy the latter, and lugs carried bythe rim shaped and located to be initially entered respectively partially into said sockets to bring said projections into register with said groove openings, and be then com` pletely entered into said sockets, concurrently With the entry Yof said projections into said grooves, to extend through and beyond said 'felly band into the body of the Wheel. t

In testimony whereof affix my signature.

'WILLIAM H. KUTINA. 

